More than 250 people attended the opening celebration of the expanded and renovated Auburn Library on the morning of Saturday, September 15.

As the crowd gathered, the Take Note Jazz Combo from Auburn Riverside High School entertained the crowd. KCLS Director Bill Ptacek then welcomed the residents to the ribbon-cutting and a number of dignitaries addressed the crowd, including KCLS Board Trustee Jessica Bonebright, Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer and the Friends of the Auburn Library President, Joan Mason.

“This is going to be an outstanding library for years to come,” said Mayor Pete Lewis. “This is another asset of the Les Gove campus.”

The 5,000 square foot library expansion project brings the library to a total of 20,000 square feet, thanks to the $172 million library capital bond approved by voters to fund major improvement projects at KCLS libraries. Two sides of the original building were expanded and glass walls allow views of neighboring Les Gove Park. Additional features include a central reading area that encourages gathering, a modified entryway, a new Children’s Area, four small study rooms, a quiet study room and a flexible meeting room. The project includes expanded parking (29 more spaces), structural and electrical improvements and a rain garden. Three new pieces of artwork by Paul Vexler are on display, titled Amoeba Like, Smooth 360 and Helix with Internal Element.

“It’s about transparency and opening the building up to the community,” said architect Walter Schacht.

Once the doors officially opened, people were invited inside to tour the library and enjoy music by the Mike Nelson Trio and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Auburn Library and Sam’s Club of Auburn.

Monthly Updates+-

2012

September 2012The renovated and expanded Auburn Library opened on Saturday, September 15, to a crowd of more than 250 people. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a number of dignitaries addressed the crowd, including KCLS Board Trustee Jessica Bonebright, Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis and King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. Once the doors officially opened, attendees toured the library and enjoyed music and refreshments.

August 2012Final construction work is underway, including electrical work and landscaping. The library set-up process is underway and the expanded library is scheduled to open to the community with a ribbon-cutting and open house on Saturday, September 15, 9:30am.

July 2012Construction continues with a substantial completion date of late July 2012, at which time the library move-in and set-up process will begin. The library is scheduled to open with a ribbon-cutting and open house celebration on Saturday, September 15, 9:30am.

June 2012Construction continues with a substantial completion date of July 2012, at which time the library move-in and set-up process will begin. The library is scheduled to open to the community with a ribbon-cutting and open house on Saturday, September 15, 9:30am.

May 2012
Construction continues, with a number of projects underway such as roofing, windows, brick work and metal siding. The library will open to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Saturday, Sept. 15, 9:30am.

April 2012
Construction continues on the expansion project, with a targeted substantial completion date of July 2012. Once construction is completed, the building interior will be prepared to reopen to the community. Recent site work includes installing fire sprinklers, roofing, framing and electrical work.

March 2012Construction continues on the expansion project, with plumbing, electrical work, metal framing and siding underway.

February 2012Progress continues on the library expansion and renovation project. Metal framing, plumbing and roofing are under way.

January 2012Construction continues on the library expansion project. Recent site activity includes structural steel work, metal framing and electrical work.

2011

December 2011 Construction continues on the 5,000 square foot library expansion project. Temporary library services are available at the building across the parking lot from the library.

November 2011
Construction continues on the Auburn Library expansion project. Temporary library services are available at the building across the parking lot from the library.

October 2011Construction continues on the Auburn Library expansion project. Recent site work includes continuing to pour the foundation wall and electrical work. Temporary library services are available at the building across the parking lot from the library.

September 2011Construction continues on the 5,000 square foot library expansion project. Recent site work includes pouring foundation footings and electrical work. Temporary library services are available at the beige building across the parking lot from the library.

August 2011Construction is underway on the 5,000 square foot library expansion project. Temporary library services are available at the beige building across the parking lot from the library.

July 2011The library expansion project is now underway, after the library closed at the end of May in preparation for construction work to start. Temporary library services are available at the beige building across the parking lot from the library.

June 2011Auburn Library closed at the end of May in preparation for the start of expansion and renovation work. In the weeks leading up to the start of the project, KCLS announced the general contractor that was selected for the project: M.J. Takisaki. The City agreed to allow KCLS to defer the undergrounding of utilities along the property fronting the Library until utilities along the entire street are undergrounded, which is part of the City's long-term capital improvement plan.

May 2011
KCLS continues to finalize details for the library expansion project. During the final stages of reviewing the permit, the city added a requirement for underground electrical utilities along the parking lot frontage on Auburn Way South. KCLS is exploring the financial impacts of this and may appeal the requirement. In the meantime, KCLS continues to review bids for the project and the finalist will soon be announced.

April 2011Construction bids for the library expansion project were received and are within the allocated project budget. KCLS is now reviewing the bids and the finalist will soon be announced. Construction is anticipated to start in the summer of 2011. Once construction starts, temporary library services will be provided at the former Herr Lumber store.

March 2011KCLS has issued bid packages for the library expansion project and construction of an expanded parking lot on property west of the library. Bids are due in early April. Once construction starts, temporary library services will be provided at the former Herr Lumber store location.

February 2011KCLS will purchase the former United Rentals property just west of the library to expand parking at the site by at least 30 stalls, as required by the city. As demolition expenses and costs to improve the existing parking areas have put the project over budget, the scope of the project will be modified. Items slated for reduction or removal may include landscape and exterior enhancements, window screens, interior finishes and other related materials. Once construction starts, temporary library services will be provided at the former Herr Lumber Retail store location.

January 2011As part of the planning phase for the library expansion project, the due diligence process continues for property west of the library, which may be acquired for additional parking. Terra Associates conducted an environmental analysis and reported that the property does not require extraordinary hazardous materials cleanup. The final step in the process is to negotiate the extent of the property redevelopment with the City. Demolition expenses and costs to improve the existing parking areas have put the project over budget. KCLS plans to review the costs with the city’s Land Use and Planning Department and discuss how to keep the project within budget. Once construction starts, temporary library services will be provided at the former Herr Lumber Retail store.

2010

December 2010Progress continues to be made on acquiring property west of the library to expand the parking capacity. KCLS officials recently signed a purchase and sale agreement for property previously leased by United Rentals and due diligence is now underway on the site to determine if the property is environmentally sound. The architect team is meanwhile working on parking lot designs. Once construction starts, temporary library services will be provided at the former Herr Lumber Retail store, which is next door to Big Daddy's Drive-In. Plans for the temporary site have been submitted for permit review and the project is anticipated to go out to bid as soon as the permit is issued.

November 2010A site has been secured for temporary library services once construction begins on the expanded library. Temporary services will be housed at the former Herr Lumber Retail store, next door to Big Daddy's Drive-In. Project consultants have submitted temporary use permit applications and are working to complete the interior space plans. Progress also has been made on acquiring additional property west of the library to expand the parking capacity at the site. KCLS officials signed a Purchase & Sale Agreement for property previously leased by United Rentals and due diligence is underway to determine if the property is environmentally sound.

October 2010Construction documents for the library expansion project continue to be finalized. KCLS staff are working to acquire additional property to the west of the Library to expand parking capacity at the site, which is required by the City of Auburn. A lease has been secured for a temporary library facility during construction.

September 2010Construction documents for the library expansion project are being finalized and permit review and SEPA documents were delivered to the city in August. Work continues to progress on acquiring additional property to the west of the library to expand the existing parking capacity. KCLS is also working to secure a temporary library facility for use during construction.

August 2010The design review stage is nearing completion for the library expansion project. Documentation for the permit and SEPA review was delivered to the City at the end of August and the bid package should be issued by the end of October. KCLS is investigating alternative sites for temporary Library access during construction and is also looking to acquire property to expand the current parking capacity.

July 2010Design development work continues for the Auburn Library expansion project. The consultant team is preparing permit applications and KCLS staff is looking into acquiring property to expand the parking capacity.

June 2010
Design development continues for the Auburn Library expansion project. The consultant team is preparing permit applications and KCLS staff is exploring acquiring property next door to the library to expand the parking capacity. Construction is anticipated to start in early 2011.

May 2010Design development for the Auburn Library expansion project progresses. The City approved a ground lease on Les Gove Park for the area that the library and existing parking stalls occupy, which was necessary in order to use bond funds for the project. KCLS is looking at acquiring property next door to expand the parking capacity.

April 2010Design development for the Auburn Library expansion project continues to progress. The City of Auburn approved a ground lease on Les Gove Park for the area that the library and existing parking stalls occupy. This was necessary in order to use bond funds for the expansion and remodel work. KCLS continues to explore acquiring additional property to expand the parking capacity.

March 2010Design development for the 5,000 square foot Auburn Library expansion and renovation project continues to progress.

February 2010Design development for the expanded and remodeled library continues. At the public meeting in January, the Mayor and City Council weighed in on KCLS adding parking to support Library and Park activities. The City requested that KCLS add 20 spaces as well as replace 10 spaces that will be lost during construction. While parking capacity already exceeds code requirements and the site has limited space, the City is the landlord of the property. Property adjacent to the Library on Auburn Way has become available and KCLS staff will meet with the City to investigate the possibility of jointly acquiring the property to satisfy the parking requirements.

January 2010The schematic design phase is nearing completion, which entails determining the preliminary plans and specifications for the renovated and expanded Auburn Library. A public meeting was held on January 14 at the library, where architects presented the preliminary floor plan, site plan and interior and exterior views.

2009

December 2009
Plans continue to be developed for the expanded and remodeled Library. To gather public input on the project, a public meeting is set for Thursday, January 14, 6:30pm at the Library.

November 2009
Work continues on developing plans for the expanded and remodeled Auburn Library. When completed, the Library will total nearly 20,000 square feet in size. A public meeting to get input on the project is set for Thursday, January 14, 6:30pm, at the Library.

October 2009
The consultant team is working to complete the conceptual and space plans for the Auburn Library expansion and renovation project. The public meeting held in September and follow-up workshops with KCLS staff were useful in refining the project plans.

September 2009Schacht/Aslani Architects have started design work for the Auburn Library expansion and renovation project. The tentative plan is to add up to 5,000 square feet to the library building. A public meeting was held on September 17 and discussion focused on which two schemes for the expansion project would be best. There also was considerable discussion regarding the Library and City of Auburn partnering on the acquisition of additional property along Auburn Way South in order to increase visibility for the Library and Les Gove Park. A follow-up meeting will be set before the end of the year to further discuss the project. Construction is anticipated to start in 2010.

August 2009Schacht/Aslani Architects started design work on the Auburn Library expansion and renovation project in mid-August. A public meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2009, at the Auburn Library with KCLS staff and the consultant team.

July 2009
KCLS selected Schacht/Aslani Architects to provide architectural services for the proposed 5,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of the Auburn Library. The current schedule calls for the agreement to be finalized and initial information gathering completed by August 2009.